The Wrong Kind Of Interrogation
by XoXoXKaylaIsRawrXoXoX
Summary: While interrogating a murder suspect, Ed makes a mistake and winds up locked in the room with him, completely powerless. The suspect, on the other hand, decides to take what he wants... Character rape and all that stuff; if you don't like it don't read it
1. Caught

"Too late. I'm calling it a night." Ed announced as Roy stepped into his office, "I was supposed to be home like an hour ago. Whatever you've got assigned for me can wait for the morning."

"You have an interrogation to do." Roy insisted, "You have to do it now. You were due there almost two hours ago, so go. It's a murder case again."

"I was kind of busy with these." Ed replied, spreading his arms out to indicate the piles of paperwork on his desk, "Thanks to you I got stuck with all this."

Roy didn't doubt he'd been the cause of it. He was practically the cause of everything in Central. "Just go do the interrogation. Play some of those mind games you like so much. It'll be over before you know it."

"Oh, but Good Cop/Bad Cop is no fun when you're not around." Ed replied, "You know how much I love making you be Good Cop."

"And that's why we don't usually interrogate together. Besides, I have my own share of things to do around here. I've probably got overtime tonight."

"You do?"

"I have been for the past three days."

"Sucks for you." Ed replied, already ready to leave for the Interrogations Department. "Catch you later. After this, I'm out of here." Although he acted neutral about it, he wasn't happy. He just wanted to get this over with, go home, and get some sleep. He'd been working way too much lately. More than usual. Finally reaching the room he was supposed to be in, he met the supposed murderer face to face. He was tall, and he looked around a hundred and fifty pounds, all muscle. A really threatening type of guy.

"Thank God for handcuffs." Ed murmured under his breath, then cleared his throat. He realized he didn't know anything about the case. He knew he was forgetting something. He decided to just guess.

"Who are you?" The man demanded.

He sounds like a fucking rapist. Looks like one, too, now that I think about it. He almost smiled at the thought of how easy it was to stereotype these people. "I don't think you're in any position to talk to me like that." Ed replied strictly instead of laughing. "So, tell me, did you kill her?" He asked. He was playing straight up Bad Cop, no Good Cop today. He just wanted to get him to admit it and be done.

"It was a he." The man replied, "And no, I didn't."

"Yes, you did, and you know it." Ed pressed, his voice laced with anger. "Just get it over with and say that you did it." He knew his mind games were working.

"Fuck you." The man spat. "If you know I did it, why do you need me to admit to it?"

"You don't admit to this and I'll leave you here to fucking rot, you bastard."

"I have rights, officer."

"It's Alchemist, actually, and murderers don't have any rights."

The man stood up as best as he could while his handcuffs had him chained to the table by his wrist. He had to bend forward slightly, but he was standing nonetheless.

"Let me out of these fucking handcuffs!" He shouted.

"Talk any louder and I'll break your goddamn face!" Ed shouted back.

"This isn't legal!"

"What you did wasn't legal!"

"I didn't kill him!"

"Then who did?"

"I don't know; it wasn't me!"

"Then tell me who did it, because all the evidence points to you, and you'd better choose your next words carefully because there will be hell to pay if you don't."

To Ed's surprise, the man sighed and lowered his head, sitting back down, "Fine." He said, "Just take these handcuffs off me and I'll give up."

Ed considered it. "Fine." He replied reluctantly, taking a small key from his pocket and unlocking the handcuffs. Big mistake. The man stood up and grabbed Ed by the neck, shoving him hard into the table. The blonde screamed as he felt his back hit the cold metal, and his hands flew up in an attempt to pry the suspect's hands off. _I guess he's definitely going to jail now_, Ed thought, wishing he'd brought his gun along with him on this one. He couldn't breathe. He started kicking his legs, and hit the man hard in the stomach. With a scream, he fell backwards into he wall, and Ed rolled off the table onto his feet just seconds after both the suspect's fists came crashing down where he used to be. _That would've hurt pretty bad…_ He dodged another attack and moved to the door, turning the doorknob. It was locked. Before he could unlock it, the man grabbed him by the waist and pulled him backwards. As Ed fell and hit the floor, the man grabbed one of the grey file cabinets and threw it against the door, blocking it.

Ed propped himself up on his elbows, assessing the situation. He couldn't see anything that would help him. The man reached for him, and he kicked his leg back, only to have his ankle grabbed by his other hand. Turning his arm, he flipped Ed over so he was lying on his stomach, and Ed tried to pull away, reaching for the legs of the table. Finally grasping the table, he pulled again, barely moving an inch before being pulled back again, to the corner of the room where he couldn't reach anything.

"Who has rights now, Alchemist?" The man asked, and grabbed Ed's ankle with both hands, twisting it. Ed screamed out in pain loudly, drowning out anything else the man might have said. He was powerless now, unable to defend himself.

Ed's screaming stopped when the man let go of his leg and let it fall down, and he rolled onto his back, still desperately trying to get away. The man reached forward for him again, and Ed held his arms up over his face, a defensive gesture. He grabbed both of Ed's wrists, and Ed tilted his head down, turning away from the man and closing his eyes.

"You know," The man said, "You're pretty. Maybe I won't kill you after all."

"You're the murderer, then." Ed concluded.

"Bingo." He replied.

Ed screamed again and started struggling to get away even more. He leaned his head forward and bit as hard as he could, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. The man screamed and pulled away, and Ed kicked him in the chest as hard as he could, pain shooting up his leg from his injured ankle. He ignored the pain and got on his feet, moving for the door until the man grabbed the same ankle and pulled him down to the floor. On the way down, Ed hit the table, hard. He barely moved as the man walked over and casually picked him up, dropping him down on the table. He took the handcuffs and grabbed Ed's wrists, chaining them where his own were only a few minutes ago. It was then that Ed realized what was really going on here, and he screamed again, wondering why nobody was hearing any of this. Then he remembered that they sound proofed these rooms. He was completely alone. And now he was handcuffed to a table. He really knew how to get himself into some serious trouble. The man climbed on top of him and started pulling at his clothes. Ed started kicking and screaming in response, as futile as the efforts were he needed to feel like he was at least trying.

"No!" Ed screamed.

"If you struggle you'll only make it worse on yourself."

"Let me go!"

The stranger ignored him, "Tell me," He said, "How old are you?"

Ed didn't reply, he just struggled to get away, pulling against the handcuffs so hard his wrists bled. The suspect responded by reaching for Ed's ankle again, pressing his own foot against it. Ed tried not to scream and tilted his head back, biting his lip in pain to suppress a pained gasp.

"How old are you?" The man repeated.

"Seventeen." Ed gasped.

The man laughed, "What makes someone as young as you think you can work a job like this?"

"I don't have to answer to a murderer." Ed replied angrily. He'd said the wrong thing, made the stranger angry, and he felt more pain in response.

"Don't get smart with me. You're not in the position to." He replied mockingly, then reached down and started to unbutton Ed's jeans. Ed began struggling again, the handcuffs hitting the metal table repeatedly. There was no way out of the things without keys.

After the murderer removed his own shirt and pants, he began to slowly take off Ed's, and the blonde felt like cringing every time his rough hands touched his skin. He closed his eyes, hearing clothes hit the floor beside them. He felt the man licking his collarbone, up his neck, to his jawbone and back down. He bit down, and Ed squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't think he was bleeding.

Suddenly, he felt the man's hands press roughly against his hips and he thrust in hard. Ed screamed loudly in pain, only to have a large hand cover his mouth. He had been a virgin before this, and it hurt like hell. He pressed his wrists harder into the handcuffs so he could focus on pain somewhere else. He tried to block out the man's panting in his ear. The fact that he was completely helpless kept running through his head each time he felt him push into him. He'd never felt so weak before. He didn't want this sick man to have the satisfaction of knowing what kind of pain he was in. He tried not to scream but he couldn't help it. He felt the man's body shaking on top of his and with one final moan he was finished. He gasped as he felt the murderer turned rapist come inside him, and then pull out. Ed caught his breath. The worst of it was over.

"What will you do now?" Ed asked, his voice shaking, "Now that you've obviously shown that you need to be in jail." The man ignored him, reaching for the blonde's jeans and redressing the teen. Ed let him do this; he'd much rather be dressed than completely naked. Ed didn't bother asking any more questions. He felt like he couldn't talk. The man pulled on his own pants, too, and then crossed the room, lifting the file cabinet that had been knocked down back up. He started looking for something in the top drawer.

"It's ironic how when you'd needed a gun you didn't know that there was one right here in the file cabinet." The man said.

Ed didn't say anything. He froze in fear.

"Don't worry. This isn't for you." The man assured him, sitting down in a chair across from the table. "I just don't want to be prosecuted for this, too."

Ed watched as the man raised the gun to his own head. "Hey, wait…" Ed tried reasoning. "You can't just shoot yourself, are you crazy!?" He wasn't a very good negotiator. The murderer ignored him and fired the gun, his body instantly going limp, and blood pouring from the newly created hole in his head and dripping loudly on the linoleum floor. Ed screamed, turning his head the other way. He didn't want to see the body, or the damage it had caused. He screamed until his throat hurt, knowing it was pointless. The man was clearly dead.

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Roy was almost finished with the overtime he'd been assigned. The only thing left to do would be to pick up some papers he had to sign over at the Interrogations Department. He went inside and checked at the front desk.

"Hi." He said, "I have some papers I need to pick up."

"Your name?" Asked a secretary.

"Colonel Roy Mustang."

"Okay." The secretary replied and started going through a nearby file cabinet. Roy crossed his arms over his chest and waited. He wondered how Ed's earlier interrogation went. This was one of the first interrogations the teen had been assigned to do on his own.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know how Fullmetal's interrogation earlier today went, would you?" Roy found himself asking.

"Little blonde kid?" The secretary asked, before letting out a triumphant laugh as she found the proper papers, turning around and handing them to the Colonel.

"That's the one." Roy replied.

"Oh, I don't know about him," The woman explained, "I think he's still in there, actually…I didn't see him leave. I kind of wanted to check up on him, but I didn't know if he was using like a delay tactic or something. I figure its best not to meddle in the affairs of State Alchemists."

"You know what, why don't you hang on to those papers for a minute?" Roy asked, leaving. "I'll check on him myself."

"Last door to your right!" The secretary called after him. Roy reached the room and slowly opened the door, quietly poking his head in. His eyes widened, shocked, and then he threw the door open behind himself violently.

"Ed!" He shouted. The blonde was sobbing, whimpering, his eyes closed like there was something he was blocking out. His wrists were handcuffed, lying in a pool of blood. He was totally out of it. He didn't even seem to recognize Roy's voice calling out his name.

"He's dead." Ed gasped, and Roy didn't know if Ed was aware of his presence and talking to him, or if he was simply trying to calm himself down. He looked to the side, where the murder suspect was sitting on a chair, dead, a gun on the floor by his side. Roy could see the gaping hole in the side of his head. Suddenly, the body tilted more towards Roy, and a lot more blood and bits of his brain began pouring out the wound, spilling onto the already wet ground. The sickening sound it made reminded Roy of a running faucet.

Ed caught his breath, inhaling loudly on the grey table. His golden eyes snapped open, focusing on the ceiling. Dark red blood still ran down his wrists and arms. Turning his head in an attempt at blocking the sound of brains splattering against the ground, he saw Roy, who'd been standing there the entire time, motionless in shock.

"Ed, what happened to you?" Roy managed to ask, fighting the nausea he was starting to feel.

"He…he raped me…" Ed replied, "Then he shot himself, after admitting to the murder…"

"But you're dressed." Roy observed, already searching for the keys to the handcuffs.

"He dressed me."

"Your wrists are bleeding."

"I tried to get away. He broke my ankle, too."

"Do you know where the handcuff keys are?"

"I think…" Ed paused to catch his breath, "I think he's got them."

"You sure?"

Ed just nodded in reply.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked, unsure of himself as he looked for the keys to his own handcuffs, checking to see if they would work instead. They did. Gently, he helped Ed into a sitting position before the blonde said anything else.

"I told him not to shoot himself. I tried to stop it." He said before bursting into tears, one hand lightly touching his newly freed wrist, "He just attacked me and took what he wanted and he already had his mind made up. I thought the gun was for me, but…And then he shot himself and there was nothing I could do but scream until I couldn't even do that anymore. I told him not to do it. I told him not to-"

"Ed calm down." Roy said, his voice soothing, but his mind racing in all different directions. Ed was just a child in Roy's eyes. This shouldn't have happened to him. "You said he hurt your ankle. Can you walk?"

"I don't know," Ed replied, "Just get me out of here." Roy did as he was told, lifting Ed off the table and reopening the door with his foot. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

Ed didn't have any objections. Roy led him down the hallway, where the secretary was talking on a phone. She dropped it at the sight of the injured teen, standing up.

"What happened?" She asked, concerned.

"The suspect attacked Ed, handcuffed him to the table, and then shot himself in the head after confessing to the murder. You might want to call someone to get the body." Roy suggested, ending his last sentence as he quickly left the building. He got Ed into the front seat of his car and they were on their way to the hospital, Roy speeding and dangerously weaving his way through traffic.

"How are you feeling?" Roy asked.

"Not too good," Ed replied, leaning his head against the window, "If you mean about my wrists, my body's still in shock so I can't feel any pain." He added apathetically.

"How deep are they cut?"

"Not too deep. I'll live." Ed replied, and Roy assumed their conversation was over. He focused on driving, his foot pressing dangerously hard against the gas pedal. Suddenly, he felt angry. He was angry that someone could just decide to rape someone as sweet and innocent as Ed, and he was even angrier that the man was enough of a coward to shoot himself when he was done. That man wouldn't live to see the kind of damage he'd inflicted on Ed, not just now but for the long run. The helpless teen blamed _himself_ for what happened! That sad excuse of a man had changed Ed's life for good, and even if he didn't know it himself, Roy could already see that it would be hard for things to seem normal again.


	2. Visit

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

A/N:I originally had this story set as a one-shot, but I got so many positive reviews and they all said that I should continue it, so that's exactly what I'm doing. Yay. You should all feel proud of me.

Roy yawned and stretched his arms out in front of himself for what felt like the millionth time that night. Looking at the clock, Roy noticed that it was going on four in the morning. He had to be to work in two hours. This would be another sleepless night. He looked to the waiting room door, wondering when a doctor or a nurse would come walking through telling him that he could see his subordinate. He saw about three or four other people in the waiting room besides himself, and then he lowered his head and closed his eyes in exhaustion.

Of course he already knew there was no way he'd be able to actually get any sleep. He couldn't. He had to see if Ed would be okay before he could do anything. He took in an almost shaky breath, remembering the expression on the blonde's face when he opened the door to the interrogation room. Ed was only seventeen years old. He shouldn't have to go through something this life changing. Nobody should. Unaware of how much time had actually passed, he lifted his head to the sound of a nurse gently whispering his name, not knowing if he was awake or asleep.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking behind her at the closed window. The sun was starting to come up, and the sky was a bright shade of pinkish-orange.

"You can come see Edward if you'd like."

"Okay." He agreed, saying the only thing he could think at the moment. He was too exhausted to fully express anything he was feeling. Exhausted and numb and completely shocked. This had started off as a completely normal day. He hadn't had the faintest idea that he would be spending the night in a hospital the following morning. Especially not for something like this. Standing up, he followed the nurse down multiple hallways, all of them that exact same shade of off-white he hated so much.

They finally reached a large room, where multiple sections were separated by large squares of white curtains. Doctors rushed through halls, dodging each other, carrying things like crash carts and stethoscopes and screaming orders at one another. The nurse stopped in front of one of the similar looking spaces, and Roy assumed Ed was behind it. At the nurse's departure, he slowly slid the curtains aside, stepping into the room and the closing them once again. Almost nervously, he then turned to face Ed.

"Hi." He blonde offered weakly. He was sitting up in bed, covered in a white sheet. His arms rested weakly on his lap, the white hospital bracelet loosely hanging around his wrist making him look even more fragile. So he was still in the emergency room, even after all this time. "I'm surprised you waited here this long."

"You didn't think I'd leave you like this, did you?" Roy replied, then crossed the room to stand beside the bed.

"You've got work tomorrow. I would've understood."

Roy was silent for a few seconds, looking at the teenager. Both of his wrists were heavily bandaged. After a few seconds, he realized that it was rude to stare, and that Ed knew that that was exactly what he was doing. He blinked a few times stupidly, then looked up at the ceiling and back down again.

"So, uh…are you okay?"

Ed shrugged, "I guess so. I think I can leave soon. Anyway, the worst injury I got was the cuts on my wrists, and I caused those myself. I told them I'm fine, but they don't listen."

Roy let off a small smile. Ed still hadn't lost that independent attitude of his. "Why don't you just listen to what they say, Ed, and lie down and get some sleep?"

"I would, but it kind of hurts to lie down. My hips are bruised."

Roy sucked in a breath, his dark obsidian eyes trailing down to the floor, "Oh." He said awkwardly, trying to block out sickening image that threatened to fill his mind.

"It's not a big deal." Ed replied, clearly not offended or unsettled by the comment, "Really. I just want to go back to work and forget this all happened."

"Are you even sure you can do that right now, Ed?"

"I know I wish I could. It's getting late, Roy. Maybe you should take your own advice and get as much sleep as you can before you have to go to work."

"I don't think I could."

"I'll be okay." Ed insisted, "Honestly. Don't beat yourself up over this."

"I'm not…it's just…I've been thinking that if I hadn't sent you to do this interrogation alone none of this would have happened to you."

"It was my mistake, not yours. You know how this happened."

"I know, but that doesn't make me feel any better."

"You will eventually. Just give it some time." Ed replied, but the expression in his own face looked pretty upset, too.


	3. Retry

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Three - Retry

Ed was back at work two days later. He came in to work late, the day he was released from the hospital. Roy was in his office, doing paperwork like usual, when he heard the doorknob click quietly. It opened as Ed stepped in, fully dressed in uniform. He closed the door behind himself and stood there almost awkwardly. It sort of looked like he didn't know where he should be or what he should be doing, which was extremely different from his usual behavior. Ed was usually the one giving orders, leading investigations and doing hands-on work.

"Edward," Roy said, grasping the few papers in his hand so he didn't drop them, "What are you doing in Central so soon?"

"I couldn't just sit in a hospital and do nothing." Ed replied, "Why?"

Roy shrugged, unsure of what to say, "No reason." He replied, then had a thought and reached under the pile of paperwork to his left; a thin, tan folder in the other hand, "If you want a new case now, i've got one for you, but don't think that you _have_ to take it. You don't."

Ed nodded and crossed the room, coming to a stop at Roy's desk. He stood straight, confident, and held out one hand, "I'll take it." He decided.

Roy looked at Ed's hand, back down at the case report, and then up into the blonde's eyes. There was that same determination in them, but it seemed different for some reason or another. Almost reluctantly, he placed the folder so that it was in Ed's hands, but left his grip around it. "We have the suspect in custody. You know that menas you've got another interrogation to do."

"I can do this, Roy." Ed assured him, without a second thought.

"Don't you feel like you're jumping the gun?"

"No. I don't."

"Fine." Roy replied, giving in and releasing his grip, resting his elbows on the large desk in between them and lacing his fingers together. "I want you to take Second Lieutenant Havoc with you on this one. Let me call him."

The expression on Ed's face showed his dissapproval at Roy's latest statement, but he nodded in agreement, just happy that Roy gave him a case to work on so soon. He was quiet as Roy dialed Havoc's phone number. Blocking out the conversation they were having, he walked to the couch across the room, sitting down and putting his feet on the coffee table, finding one of Roy's previous cases to read to keep himself entertained. This would be a long day from the looks of it.

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Ed and Havoc met up at the Investigations Department, in the main room that led to the holding cells. Havoc was stting down in a chair, waiting for Ed. When he saw him, he stood up, ready to go do the investigation. Ed stopped him.

"Havoc," He said, "I want to do this on my own."

"What?" Havoc asked, "You can't be serious. And i'm here under direct orders from Colonel Mustang, I can't just let you go."

"Aren't I a superior of yours, too?" Ed asked, pointing out the fact that he was a Major, and Havoc was a Second Lieutenant. "So just drop it."

"It doesn't work that way, sir." Havoc insisted.

Ed rolled his eyes, "Fine. Whatever." He replied, "Let's just finish this up quickly and then we can work on something else, okay?"

"Uh, sure." Havoc said, surprised that Ed had given up so quickly.

Without saying anything else, Ed turned and left the room, walking down the hall towards the room he knew the suspect was in. It wouldn't be the one he'd been attacked in; that room was still closed off for investigations to take place, so he wasn't worried. Havoc followed him down the hall, and Ed turned and opened the door. The room was cold, the air conditioner turned on way too high, and the lights were slightly dimmed. Havoc closed the door behind the two of them as Ed glanced at the suspect. Another big, tough guy. He was also handcuffed to the side of the table, his head down, probably sleeping. He lifted his head at the sound of the door shutting, and looked at Ed.

"What do _you_ want?" He asked impatiently.

It took that long for Ed to realized that all of a sudden he didn't know what to do anymore. His mind just shut down, even though he'd done tons of interrogations before. Even knowing this, he had no idea what he should say. He took a deep breath, looked to the criminal then to his side at Havoc, who was still standing there. Ed wasn't alone, he was safe, but events from those two nights ago came flooding back into his memory; things he hadn't even remembered until then. He shuddered slightly at the memories, and the man kept staring. Even though Ed wasn't looking at him, he could feel it. It felt the same as the way that other man had looked at him before; cold, analyzing, cruel.

"Well?" He demanded.

Ed looked at him directly, trying not to show any kind of fear. Havoc nudged him slightly, whispering "You alright, Ed?"

The blonde looked back up at the older man, biting his bottom lip slightly, "You lead." He replied just as quietly, and Havoc nodded. Then he cleared his throat and began the interrogation on his own. Ed could hear questions being fired off and answers being given just as rapidly, but he didn't remember what they were saying. He felt dazed. He was trying not to freak out. He turned to leave, opening the door and walking out into the hallway without closing it, glad that Roy had decided it was best to bring Havoc. He was very understanding about the entire situation, he knew that Ed needed the extra help and he eagerly volunteered his services. Ed didn't want the help, though. He just wanted things to be back to normal again.

He walked down the hall a few feet. It was completely empty and silent. He could hear his boots echo on the floor with each step he took. He stopped and leaned against a wall, lowering his head and hearing his breathing hitch. Raising one hand to rest under his bangs, he started crying, unable to keep it inside anymore. He didn't know what to do. His legs felt weak, and he slid down to the floor, ignoring the screaming that was coming from both Havoc and the suspect from the open door, ignoring the pain he felt with each movement of his bandaged wrists, ignoring the voice in his head that told him to leave.


	4. Six AM

Disclaimer: I dont own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Chapter Four - Six AM

Havoc got the man to confess to murder and he's doing time in jail now. It wasn't a life term, but it was a long time. Forty to sixty years. That was yesterday. Today, Ed sat alone in his office, the lights slightly dimmed as he absentmindedly twirled a pen in between his fingers. It was early morning, nearly six in the morning, and the sun had barely come up yet. He shouldn't even be at work until eight. Roy didn't even get here until six thirty or seven. Normally he was sleeping around now. He just had nothing better to do, and he was beginning to doubt himself. He didn't know if he could keep up with this job anymore. If he can't handle a simple interogation, how was he supposed to handle anything else? Eventually, time began to pass.

Before he knew it Roy was in his office. He looked up at the door as it opened, ans saw his superior officer step in, a look of genuine concern obvious on his face. That wasn't something Ed saw every day. "What is it, Mustang?" He asked, sounding only semi-exhausted. After all, he'd went home after the interrogation and couldn't sleep. He wound up staying up all night. He had a half-empty can of Monster next to him, but it wasn't helping much in keeping him any more awake than he already was.

"I heard about the interrogation last night from Havoc." Roy replied calmly, then closed the door behind himself, "What happened?"

"I don't know what to say about it." Ed replied, "If it makes you feel any better, I won't let it happen again."

"That doesn't make me feel any better and you know it." Roy answered, crosing the room to stand in front of the blonde's desk. "I can tell how deeply this has affected you. People don't just get raped and then walk away from it, and I can't stand to see you like this."

"I can't stand to _feel_ like this, Roy, but what am I supposed to do?" Ed asked, defensively, "How am I supposed to feel when I still can't believe this could have actually happened?" He demanded, standing up, "I was right in the interrogations room. I wasn't in some dark, abandoned alleyway in a secluded part of the city, I was at work. There were people no farther than a hallway away from me!"

It was silent for a few seconds, and Roy noticed that the teen was shaking now, trying to prevent tears that he knew would fall as he eventually continued to talk again, his voice coming out more unsteady than before, "How could someone even _think_ of me like this?" He asked quietly, "Why would someone think of doing that? What kind of a selfish, terrible person would try pulling something like that off?"

"I don't know, Ed." Roy replied, then leaned over the desk and wrapped his arms around said blonde, hugging him. He heard his breath hitch and soon he was quietly sobbing, and Roy could feel him shaking in his arms.

"Why me?" he asked through his crying, "What did I do to make this happen?"

"This wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Roy replied, and Ed didn't say anything back.


	5. Blame

Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Five - Blame

Roy went back to his office after Ed decided he was calm enough to be left alone. Roy had his doubts about that, though. He was beginning to have doubts about pretty much everything. Hours passed and after looking out the window he noticed it was starting to get pretty late. Late enough for him to hear the faint click of Ed's boots against the cold hallway floor as he left Central once again for the night. Roy didn't know why the blonde had even bothered with coming back so soon. He was hurting himself.

Then again, this should have never happened in the first place. Roy had just never seen how vulnerable the teen actually was. Ed was still so young, and Roy made the mistake of sending Ed on this interrogation alone. Was that the right choice? No. He had made another mistake. This was his fault. He had already let too many people down; he couldn't stand to see Ed added to that list, but now he definately was, and there was no way that would change.

Roy still had a few hours left at work, but he reached into the bottom drawer of his desk, finding a clear bottle of Vodka that he kept there for whenever he might need it. He opened it and drank some right out of the bottle, not even bothering with finding a cup or a shot glass. Time passed, and the bottle emptied quickly. It was a little more than halfway empty when Hughes opened the door to his office, being the only other one in Roy's department that worked such late hours. Roy looked up at the taller man and frowned. Hughes didn't look too happy about the Vodka that was sitting on Roy's desk.

"What do you think you're doing, Roy?" He asked disapprovingly.

Roy gave him a drunken glare, standing up, "None of your goddamn _business_, Maes." He slurred, then fell to one side, his hand just barely making it to the wall before his head did. His reflexes were considerably slow by then. The bottle on his desk tipped over and landed on the floor, the cap luckily closed tight enough to keep the liquor it held actually inside the bottle. Hughes crossed the room, picking up the bottle and throwing it out.

"I'm taking you home early, Colonel, and I don't care if you like it or not." He decided, then grabbed Roy by the wrist, leading him out the room.

"Oh no you're not!" Roy exclaimed when they got into the hallway, "I will demote you _so_ fast, Hughes. You let me go right this instant." But Hughes ignored him, knowing that he was only talking like this because he was drunk, and he was only drunk because he was miserable. Roy let Hughes lead him out the building, way too intoxicated to struggle anymore. They made it into the parking lot, and Hughes somehow managed to get Roy into his car.

"Tell me why you're so upset now." He said once they were on their way to Roy's house.

Roy rolled his dark obsidian eyes, "It's not even a big deal, Hughes."

"I'm your best friend. You can tell me, you know." Hughes insisted, "I can already tell that this has to do with what happened to Ed a couple of days ago, so don't say it's nothing because I'm not stupid, Roy."

It was quiet for a long time, long enough for them to reach their destination and stop the car, then Roy spoke. "It was my fault," He said, "This was because of me."

"What would make you think that?"

"I was the one who allowed him to do that interrogation, and alone at that. If he had some kind of partner with him, this would have been prevented. I should have been able to tell something like this would happen."

"How could you have known? Really, it's not an everyday thing for soldiers to be hurt like that, expecially in their own workplace."

"I don't _know_." Roy replied, "But I should have. I've failed many people already. I've made way too many mistakes and too many wrong decisions. I don't know what to _do_ anymore." He explained, "I didn't think something like this could happen."

"Roy, you can't-"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Roy inturruped, "I just want to go inside and get some sleep or something..."

"Fine." Hughes replied, giving up and helping his superior officer out of his car and into the house. After that he said goodbye and left, and Roy was all on his own. He found his way to his bedroom, turning on the light. He got in bed and rolled over so he was lying on his stomach, holding his head in his hands. He stayed like that, thinking for what felt like hours. He really blamed himself for this, and he really didn't know how to fix it. Feeling tears start to fall from his eyes, he lowered his head and cried for the first time in years.


	6. Mission

Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

A/N - I just wanted to thank everyone for all the positive reviews I've been getting! I know I don't reply to them, but they mean a LOT to me, and they're probably the only thing that's kept me motivated to update this fic every now and then...Anyway, I have like ten people on my alert list and if they would all review it would make me feel really special! Please? For me? lol. But anyway...

Chapter Six - Mission

Roy showed up the next day for work tired, hung over, and miserable. As is typical when he drinks like that, he came in slightly late. Havoc was in his office, sitting on the black couch against the wall, his icy blue eyes focused on an open case file in his hands. He barely noticed the colonel open the door to his office as he continued to read, flipping a page and crossing his legs, his boots tapping the floor quietly each time he switched legs. Roy cleared his throat to let him know he was standing there. Havoc looked up, surprised from the noise, and closed the tan folder before placing it on the coffee table in front of him. "Colonel, sir, I've been waiting for you to show up all day!" He exclaimed, "I even called but you wouldn't answer youur phone. I have something important to tell you."

Roy shrugged uncaringly, crossing the room to sit at his desk. Instead of sticking with the typical, authorative pose he was used to he just held his head up with one hand, watching Havoc apathetically, "Go on." He said.

"It's about Major Elric's case a few days ago." Havoc replied, "It seems this was much bigger than we thought. Looks like there's some gang activity reported. The new case file was left in Fullmetal's office, and a copy was sent to me since I'm technically his partner. We're going undercover to catch some of these guys."

"Undercover?" Roy repeated, sitting up a little straighter.

"Yes. It's the best possible strategy, since we don't know who's who in this."

There was a short pause as Havoc waited for Roy to take in everything he just said. Roy sat there, thinking, looking at his subordinate for a couple of seconds before gathering the sudden will to speak. "Are you sure that Ed can even handle going undercover right now?"

"I don't know how to ask him, but-"

"Ask him? Havoc, if you asked him he'd simply say yes no matter what. But if you're going undercover, there will be arrests. Those people will need to answer some questions. The lead detective on the case is usually the one to interrogate a suspect, and in that case it's Ed. You saw how he freaked out during that last interrogation first hand. Maybe that should have told you that this wasn't the best idea."

"I know what you mean, but with all due respect we can't just keep him away from the interrogations department forever. If he doesn't face his fears he'll never get over it, and I know that both of us don't want that to happen. He'll only get worse with time."

Roy sighed, looking down at the floor, "You're right." He said, "But what will _he_ think? I'm just worried about him."

"I know. We all are, but he'll pull through eventually."

"So when will you and Fullmetal be leaving?"

"A couple of days, the sooner the better, but things are really heating up with the dissappearance of that last man. It'll be dangerous to leave right after, so I'm thinking three or four days sounds appropriate."

"Me too. I'll expect a full report on what's already been covered before you leave, with both yours and Ed's signatures."

"Yes, sir-"

"You'll need my signature for what?" Havoc turned around and Roy looked past him at the now open door where Edward stood, clearly just getting into work. It was still kind of early in the morning, after all. Realizing the awkward silence that suddenly took over the room, Ed tilted his head slightly to one side, confused. "Is there something going on here?" He asked.

Roy looked to Havoc and then back to Ed, "Is there something specific you came here for, Major?"

"Yeah, actually, I was looking for the Lieutenant." Ed replied, then turned his attenion to said blonde, "Havoc. I recieved another case file this morning. We're going undercover, and soon. Be ready for it."

"Yes, sir!" Havoc replied, briefly saluting before Ed turned to leave, shutting the door behind himself.

"Okay," Roy said when he was gone, "I guess we don't need to tell him after all."

"I guess so." Havoc agreed, "At least he's willing to do it. That's a start."

"Uh-huh." Roy replied, then nodded, "You're dismissed, Lieutenant."

As Roy and Havoc finished up their conversation, Ed walked down the hall and into his own office, the new case file still lying open on his desk. "Well," He said quietly to himself, "That was a little easier than I thought it would be...Now I just have to convince myself into actually _doing_ this."


	7. Hostage

Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Chapter Seven - Hostage

The next few days passed by way too quickly for Ed. Before he knew it, he was sent away from Central with Havoc on this undercover mission. He still didn't know if he could handle it yet. It was too late for that now. He and Havoc had finally found some of the guys who were supposedly linked to some kind of drug ring, worth more than just a couple million dollars. It was agreed that Ed ould pose as someone looking to buy something from these people, and he agreed to meet up with one of them in a dirty motel just outside the city limits. Since it was pre-arranged, they were able to set up a couple of small cameras and put a wire on Ed. Along with those precautions, he also had his gun hidden in his belt. Havoc and a large handful of officers from Central waited in the room to make an arrest, watching everything that went on in the room through a few small monitors. Havoc sat in front of the group, watching as one of the suspects entered the motel room, followed by Ed.

"So," Ed asked, his voice projecting through the wire he wore and out a small radio in the other room, "About how much will this cost me?"

The guy paused, turned around, then closed and locked the door behind them before facing the teen, "Maybe there are other ways you could pay me besides money." He suggested.

Ed visibly tensed, and it was silent for a few seconds before the blonde cleared his throat, casually sitting down on the edge of the only bed in the room, "I don't think so." He replied, "How about you just give me what I came here for, I pay you with _money_, and we both just call it a night, okay?"

Havoc and the rest of the team stayed in the room beside them, keeping careful track of the discussion taking place, waiting for any reason at all to rush in and make an arrest. Havoc, especially, kept a close watch on Ed, one foot methodically tapping against the floor and a slightly worried expression on his face. He didn't like the way this conversation was going. Drug dealers were known to play dirty in order to get what they want. Ed wasn't ready for this. It was normal on the job, but he still wasn't ready.

"I don't know about that," The man replied, standing in front of Ed and placing a hand on either of his arms.

"I just said _no_." Ed replied, managing to keep calm like he was used to this, "Just forget about it."

"You sure?" He asked in reply, his hands gradually moving down to Ed's waist.

Ed caught his breath. His gun. He was caught. His eyes widened as the man's left hand stopped on the weapon. The man wasted no time in pushing Ed onto his back and taking the gun from him, pointing it at the now helpless teen. "Why do you have a gun?" He demanded. Ed was speechless, struggling to think of something to say that would get him out of this. This was _not_ good. Havoc decided that now was the time for him to make his move. The plan had already backfired, anyway, so there really was no reason to keep Ed in danger like this.

"Let's go!" He ordered.

Inside the room, Ed tried to back away until he hit the headboard of the bed and realized there was nowhere else for him to go. How did it turn out like this? He'd done everything like he'd been ordered to, almost down to perfection. He couldn't think of a way out of this one. He was stuck. Suddenly, the locked door came crashing open violently, the team from Central rushing in, "Freeze!" Havoc shouted, "You're under arrest!"

"You're a cop!" The man suddenly realized, glaring down at Ed after seeing what was happening, "You were wearing a wire!"

"Don't shoot him!" Havoc ordered. They couldn't try making an arrest if this guy had a gun aimed at Ed. This was considered a hostage situation now. Ed knew this, and he decided to make his own decision. It was incredibly risky, but he caught the man by surprise and sent his leg back, kicking the gun from his hands. Before it went flying, the man attempted to shoot him, and the bullet just missed his head by mere centimeters, hitting the pillow. When the gun was gone, Ed sent his other foot forward and kicked the dealer roughly in the stomach before rolling off the bed and onto the floor, using the bedpost as a sort of shield when a shot rang out from one of the officer's guns. It was over.

"Are you okay?" Havoc called after everything went silent.

Ed slowly picked himself up off the floor, nodding as two more officers rushed oast him to take care of the injured suspect. Couldn't let him die without a trial, after all. "I'm fine." He replied, "It was nothing."

"Let's just hope the same can be said about our suspect over there," Havoc noted, "We never _did_ get him to admit to selling those drugs."

"So what do we do now?"

"Take him to the hospital. When he gets better, we'll just put him in a holding cell." Havoc replied, "Maybe he'll tell us something useful."


	8. Written Report

Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Eight - Written Report

The man Ed tried to arrest, named Travis Smith, was ready to be released from the hospital the following week. That was also when Ed was sent to make the arrest. The man was in his hospital room, dressed and ready to leave, when he showed up. They both recognized each other immediately. Ed cleared his throat and casually stepped into the room. "We need to put you in holding." He said.

"I know who you are." Travis replied, "You're that guy who was wearing the wire."

"Uh-huh." Ed replied apathetically, taking out a pair of handcuffs, "Come on, let's get out of here."

The man rolled his eyes, reluctantly turning around and letting Ed handcuff him. The blonde began reading him his rights at the same time; "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you..."

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Later on that same day, Ed sat in his office. The case was over, just for a little while. No more screaming and swearing and yelling and hurting. None of that. At least for now. Now all he had to do was finish a report and hand it in to Roy before the day was over. For the first time in his life, he was actually looking forward to it.

"Something really _is_ wrong with me." He murmured sarcastically under his breath as he began to write out his experiences. He spent a little over half the day working on that one report, and before going home he decided to drop it off at Roy's office. He simply walked in and dropped it on the older brunette's desk without knocking.

"What's this?" Roy asked, looking up at him.

"My report," Ed replied, "What else would it be?"

"You're telling me you actually did it? On time?"

"I had nothing else to do. I'm just glad that the case is finally ending."  
"Oh," Roy replied, looking down at the papers and back at his subordinate, "Are you doing any better, Ed?"

Ed shrugged in reply, instantly knowing what Roy meant by that and sitting down, "I've been doing a lot of thinking since it happened, Roy."

"About what?"

"If this job is right for me," Ed confessed, "I havn't told anyone yet, so it's completely unofficial, but I've been thinking about quitting."

"You want to quit? Why now?" Roy asked, a shocked expression on his face. Ed was never the kind of person to quit, and they both knew that.

"I don't know yet. It's just a thought." Ed replied, "You don't have to worry about it. I'll be here tomorrow, and at least until this case is over."

"I don't want you to feel like you have to be here."

"I know it's totally optional. I was supposed to take time off of work, but I declined, remember?"

"Right," Roy answered, and it was silent for the next few seconds, "Are you really okay, or have you been lying to me?"

"I have no idea, Roy. I just don't care anymore."

Roy looked up at Ed, shocked at the teen's choice of words. He didn't know what to say. There have already been so many times like this where he just didn't know what to do. Everything was still so unusual for him that he didn't know how to handle it, "Ed..."

"I'll just leave." Ed replied, turning and exiting the office. The door slammed shut a little loudly behind him. He was clearly more than upset. Roy frowned, leaning forward in his chair, propping his elbows on his desk and resting his head in his hands. Suddenly, he realized that he hadn't seen the young alchemist even so much as smile in these past few weeks.

Would things _ever_ go back to the way they once were?


	9. Progress

Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Nine - Progress

After a long drive through most of Central, Ed finally made it home. He stood on his porch, finding his house key and quickly unlocking the door. It was cold out, and he just wanted to go inside and get some sleep. He had things to do in the morning. Stepping into the living room, he took off his jacket, throwing it onto the floor and going into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and found a bottle of water in the bottom drawer, then turned and closed the fridge with the back of his foot. His eyes briefly passed his wrists as he opened the cap. Sighing, he made no attempt to block out the memories that came back.

When he told Roy that he didn't care, he really didn't. He didn't know what to focus on, or what he had to do to make this all go away. He felt like he'd tried everything he could think of only to get worse with time. He felt like his entire world had been turned upside down, everything he thought he knew somehow disproved. He was the kind of person who always thought the best of people; who thought that people didn't think thing like that, or didn't go around hurting people without a reason. Obviously that wasn't true. So then what was? And what's the logic in just _hurting_ people like that? What do you _get_ from that? How is that _equivalency_?

It's not.

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Roy sat alone in his office, typically the last one to leave. The halls of Central HQ were nearly deserted. He couldn't hear the footsteps of random soldiers anymore, or the sounds of phones ringing. He signed his name on the last form on his desk, then stood up and stretched his arms out in front of himself. He was tired. He was really, really tired. He got his things together and was almost ready to leave when he had another important thought.

Edward.

He was really worried about the teen. Had he really given up on everything he'd worked for? He couldn't. But what could he do to fix it? Sighing, he sat back down, almost nervously. He knew Ed was incredibly unpredictable. He didn't need another demonstration to prove that, especially a self-destructive one. There were people that really cared about him, and Roy counted himself as one of those people. He reached forward and picked up the phone from the corner of his desk, then dialed Ed's phone number, clearing his throat and looking up at the ceiling as he listened to the first ring.

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Ed was still in the kitchen when his phone rang. It caught him by surprise, since he was in his own little world of thoughts, and he almost dropped the water in his hands. Releasing a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, he put it down on the counter and got to the living room in time to answer it. "Hello?" He asked.

"Um, hi." It was Roy. Roy wasn't exactly the kind of person he'd expect a phone call from, particularly since he was off work. Roy's shift was just ending, too, so there was no way he needing him for anything.

"Hi." Ed replied, "What's up?"

"I just wanted to know if you were okay." Roy confessed.

"Why?"

"Because I care about you, Ed."

It was silent for a few seconds. Ed took a deep breath, not expecting those words to come from Roy of all people. "Oh," He answered plainly, "Thanks, Roy. I'm fine. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Bye." Ed replied, then hung up. He put the phone back where it belonged, and he stood there thinking. For the first time in what felt like forever, a smile crossed his face. It wasn't a one hundred percent happy smile, but it was still a smile. He really was making progress.


	10. Success

Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Ten - Progress

Just like every other day, there was work to be done the next morning. Ed was at work on time, arriving in the interrogations department with Havoc at around eight in the morning. They got the room number where their suspect would be waiting, and they made their way down the hall. With the exception of the two soldiers, the hallway was unusually empty. It kind of creeped Ed out. Hacing thoughts he'd rather not remember, he slightly trembled and wrapped his arms around himself, following Havoc.

"Nervous?" The older blonde asked.

"A little," Ed replied, "But I think I'll be fine."

"Good." Havoc replied, and then they reached their destination. "Let's play good cop, bad cop."

Ed raised an eyebrow, "Bad cop?" He asked.

"Rock paper scissors?" Havoc offered.

"Go." Ed agreed.

They played two out of three. Havoc won. "You're good cop this time." He said with a smirk.

"Whatever, Jean, I'll get you back." Ed replied, and then Havoc opened the door and he followed him in. Joking aside, he was still pretty nervous, but he remembered what Roy said the night before and he mentally told himself he'd be fine. This would be over before he knew it.

"Good morning." Havoc greeted the suspect, "I'm Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, and I'm sure you're familiar with Major Edward Elric already, so let's just get down to business here..."

Ed started to let his mind wander once again as Havoc began firing off questions and recieving answers just as quickly. Clearly he wouldn't be needed for quite a while. He was pulled out of his thoughts only when Havoc began screaming and he slammed his fist down on the metal table so loud Ed thought it was broken. He jumped up slightly, eyes widening, before he calmed down and decided that now was the time to act.

"Now, Havoc, that's _not_ the way to learn anything." He inturrupted, his calm voice inturrupting the shouting in an almost authorative manner. "You don't have to be so rude all the time." He added, then turned to the suspect. "Now, how about we get Havoc out of here, and you can explain what's going on to _me_. I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

Within the hour, Ed left with enough information to convict over five men, and a story about one of the largest drug rings Central's seen in decades.


	11. Done

Disclaimer - I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Eleven - Done

It was over. The entire case was over. All arrests had been succesfully made the next day, and a week later each and every single suspect had stood before a grand jury and recieved very long jail sentances. The media credited this all to the legendary Fullmetal Alchemist, which was something everyone discovered on the front page of the newspaper after the sentancing. Ed, though, refused to make any comments to the media. He just wanted to forget it ever happened, and he wanted this story to fade away as quickly as possible.

The night after the sentancing, the guys from Central decided to do something they hadn't done in years, and never done with Ed. They went out to a bar to celebrate. It was one of the bars Roy went to all the time, and the group sat at a booth in one of the corners. They were drunk already. Ed leaned forward, his elbows against the table, his head propped up with one hand.

"What's up _your_ alley?" Havoc asked, looking over at the teen.

"You smell like an open bar, Jean." Ed replied.

"This _is_ an open bar." Havoc pointed out.

"You're totally missing the point. You're drunk."

"Yeah, this is a party. Lighten up a little." Havoc replied, holding an open bottle of beer out to the blonde.

"Hey!" Roy exclaimed. Ed turned and looked at the brunette, thankful that at least _he_ was sober enough to remember that he was a minor and shouldn't drink. Then Roy cleared his throat, holding out a different bottle, "That stuff's only 40-proof. It's for babies."

"Well, look at Ed!" Havoc replied.

"What about him?"

"He probably can't hold his liquor very well."

"How much do you wanna bet?"

"Okay, _nobody_ is making bets on me." Ed inturrupted.

"Twenty bucks." Havoc announced.

"Done." Roy replied, then held the bottle to Ed again.

"No!" Ed shouted.

"Come on!" Roy insisted.

"Yeah, Roy's been drinking since he was fourteen!" Havoc added.

Ed raised an eyebrow, and Roy gave Havoc an annoyed look. "I told you not to _tell_ anybody about that, Jean." He said.

"Oops."

"No, wait, I wanna know about this now." Ed announced, "So, Roy, you've been drinking since you were-"

"Fourteen, yeah, it's not a big deal." Roy replied.

"But you-"

"I had a bit of a wild side. Can we just drop this?"

"How come you never told me?"

"It's not normal conversation, Ed."

Ed smiled, looking at Roy, "I can't _imagine_ you with a wild side." He said, and then laughed. The three went quiet for a few seconds, looking at each other. "What?" Ed asked, feeling awkward about the silence, "Did I do something?"

"You laughed!" Havoc exclaimed.

Ed rolled his eyes, but he let another smile cross his lips and he picked up the beer, "Could we just not freak out about this?" He asked, and then took a drink from the green bottle as both older alchemists watched. "Ew." He murmured.

"You think it's gross?" Havoc asked.

Ed nodded, and put the bottle back on the table, sliding it to Roy. "Totally gross."

Roy slid it back to Ed, "Just finish that bottle. I should make twenty bucks off this."

"Grow up, Colonel."

Ed finished it anyway. Turns out he wasn't too great about holding his liquor.

A/N - Yep. It's over. I feel so accomplished right now. This was my most successful story, so thanks for all the alerts and reviews and favorites!


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